Pellucid
adjective /pəˈluː.sɪd/ — Translucently clear; easily understood
Definition
Translucently clear — admitting maximum light without distortion. Also used of prose or argument: perfectly clear and easy to understand, with nothing obscuring the meaning.
Beyond the definition
Clarity so complete it disappears. Pellucid water, pellucid prose — both have the quality of getting out of the way entirely, letting you see straight through to what is on the other side.
Origin & history
From Latin 'pellucidus' — 'per' (through) + 'lucidus' (clear, bright). What light passes through completely. Related to 'lucid' but with an emphasis on transparency rather than brightness.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The mountain stream was pellucid — every stone visible on the bottom, the trout hanging motionless in the current.
Her argument was pellucid: three premises, one conclusion, nothing hidden.
Pellucid prose is the hardest kind to write — every unnecessary word is revealed as unnecessary.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Pellucid” when the meaning fits your context: Translucently clear — admitting maximum light without distortion. Also used of prose or argument: perfectly clear and easy to understand, with nothing obscuring the meaning.
Synonyms
crystal clear, transparent, limpid, lucid, translucent
Antonyms
opaque, murky, obscure
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Clear Quartz Crystals
A collection of fossils and clear, light-admitting quartz crystals is arranged neatly on a naturalist's workbench.
The transparency of the quartz crystals, which admit light without distortion, serves as a literal analogy for the word's figurative meaning of prose or arguments that are perfectly clear.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Pellucid" mean?
Pellucid is adjective meaning: Translucently clear; easily understood. Translucently clear — admitting maximum light without distortion. Also used of prose or argument: perfectly clear and easy to understand, with nothing obscuring the meaning.
Where does the word "Pellucid" come from?
From Latin 'pellucidus' — 'per' (through) + 'lucidus' (clear, bright). What light passes through completely. Related to 'lucid' but with an emphasis on transparency rather than brightness.